jinkies.org

rock out with your candidates out

jinkies — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:12:36 +0000

It really should be a naughty euphamism. So you know, let your mind wander…

Thanks to @JeffQuestad I got to read all about McCain’s vaguely disturbing predilection for ABBA. I’m not that disturbed about his enjoyment of Neil Diamon because, when push comes to shove, which one of us wouldn’t say they loved Neil Diamond? I have very fond junior high memories of our show choir singing “America.”

Which of course got me thinking, if I were going to list my ten favorite songs, what would they be? This could also have something to do with the fact that I just bought New Kids On Block “Greatest Hits” and would have chosen at least two of those songs had you asked me this question in 1990. And a Guns ‘N Roses song or two, I’m sure. Lest you think I’m a total freak.

Therefore, my top 10 songs of right-damn-now-which-are-available-at-the-iTunes-music-store-for-you-to-sample but in no particular order:

body slam

jinkies — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 05:59:00 +0000

I’m a moderately skilled cyclist. I’m fairly likely to remain upright on my bike in most situations. I’m comfortable riding in traffic, near cars (and doors that may open at any moment) and taking the lane when it’s required.

I’m not good at crossing railroad tracks, it seems. I took a different route out of work toward the light rail. In hindsight, this was a bad idea. It required crossing the tracks on 7th street, and then crossing them again to actually travel down 7th street. See the map (zoom in to just about street level):

View Larger Map

I was traveling west on Jackson, making a left on 7th to head south. Note the railroad tracks. I know they’re there. I cross them all the time. The surface is terrible, but I usually just bunny hop over the tracks. I didn’t bunny hop quite far enough today… Caught my front wheel just in the angled track rut area, went skidding down on my left side, and hit the ground hard. Hard enough to actually send my lip balm shooting out of my fully closed messenger bag where it came to rest about six feet away.

Is it sad that my first two thoughts were:

Shit, there goes my rear derailleur.
Thank god I didn’t fall on my knife side!

I have beautifully forming bruises in a crescent shape around my left knee, a bruise blossoming on my left hip, elbow, and shoulder. Ugh. Not much broken skin though–just some abrasions on my knee and elbow. I guess that’s the advantage to commuting in my regular clothes and not spandex. I would’ve shredded my knee (I was wearing long shorts) and probably ripped the shoulder of my jersey (I was wearing a sturdy cotton t-shirt) if I were commuting in full kit.

Though this is always one of the dangers of cycling on the road, stuff like this always takes me by surprise. I’m going to hurt tomorrow!

a meme before lunch

jinkies — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:49:58 +0000

Taking a break from cross-eyed order entry at work.

1. My uncle once: bought me the coolest Lego set available in my childhood–the castle.

2. Never in my life: will I do something I know I will one day regret.

3. When I was five: I got a little brother.

4. High school was: where I cultivated my finely honed nerdiness combined with a fierce need to compete.

5. I will never forget: all of the helping verbs (is are was were be being am have had has do does did may might must can could shall should will would).

6. Once I met: Bryan, I knew I was set.

7. There’s this boy I know: and he’s an asshole boy trapped in an incompetent, homophobic man’s body. I hope he gets shitcanned.

8. Once, at a bar: I dropped a full pint of beer, told my pal the bartender I was probably done drinking, then ordered another one.

9. By noon, I’m usually: ready for lunch.

10. Last night: I cooked a feast for Bryan and our houseguests.

11. If only I had: another bike.

12. Next time I go to church: I will probably not be at the one I grew up in.

13. What worries me most: is putting together money for a down payment on a house. But I’m still not that worried because I don’t worry much.

14. When I turn my head left I see: two printers and three post-it notes stuck to the wall.

15. When I turn my head right I see: Garrett’s desk.

16. You know I’m lying when: I tell you I’m lying.

17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: being a kid and having no responsibilities.

18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: one of the characters who appears in the first act, has one or two lines, then doesn’t appear again.

19. By this time next year: I will be preparing to go to EuroBike.

20. A better name for me would be: Darland Sasacha.

21. I have a hard time understanding: how stupid people got to be that way.

22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: be in grad school, pissing away money to get another degree in a subject I love but won’t use.

23. You know I like you if: I actually listen when you talk to me.

24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: Bryan, because he probably was the reason I tried in the first place.

25. Take my advice, never: take my advice.

26. My ideal breakfast is: coffee and something made at home. Served around noon.

27. A song I love but do not have is: a song I haven’t heard yet. I’m buried in music and I have a compulsion to own it if I like it.

28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: think of things to do that don’t require being in my hometown..

29. Why won’t people: actually think before they speak?

30. If you spend a night at my house: you should be someone who doesn’t mind 87 pounds of neurotic labrador retriever mix.

31. I’d stop my wedding for: nothing. And I didn’t.

32. The world could do without: 90% of the population.

33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: eat raisins.

34. My favourite blonde(s) is/are: Bryan! Bottled blonde counts, eh?

35. Paper clips are more useful than: not having paper clips.

36. If I do anything well it’s: sleeping. I should be in the Olympics.

37. I can’t help but: I might try.

38. I usually cry: on the 12th of Never. I can’t remember the last time I cried.

39. My advice to my child/nephew/niece: only idiots say “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Ultimately only the small stuff makes a difference.

40. And by the way: I’m having a good day.

this is saturday

jinkies — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:43:11 +0000

I think today I had what some people would call “Saturday.” I slept in (until 10:15 OMG) and then made myself some breakfast, a pot of coffee, and hung out (lost at least 30 minutes in Facebook, damn you Reece). I showered at 2pm. I cleaned the house a bit…vacuumed, did dishes, contemplated laundry for at least half a minute. Then after a random meeting with our landlord, Bryan and I went and ran errands. Hit up Target, went to the bank, got coffee for him and Jamba Juice for me, then bought a few house essentials at Crate & Barrel. (We’re still spending there on our wedding gift cards.) Today’s haul was a new dish rack, a colander, salad spinner, and a cast iron skillet.

Apparently this is what people do when they have weekends. People who are not my parents, because they are in Reno for the weekend. They travel. I stay home and do little things. Tomorrow I might get to go on a bike ride with my friends. Monday my friend Jess and her new man arrive for a week’s visit.

Thanks, new!job. I appreciate this “Saturday” thing.

like ham, but not

jinkies — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:05:54 +0000

I do love reading some of the blog comment spam I get. While thousands of them are just links and more links, some of it is just “flattering” text, generally as a test to see I’m spammable. My favorite this week is:

Your site is a refreshing change from the majority of sites I have visited. When I first started visiting web sites I was excited by the potential of the internet as a resource and was very disappointed initially. You have restored my enthusiasm and I thank you for your efforts to share your insights and help the world become a better place.

I’m glad that I’m a refreshing change. Oh, and I want to know how people are searching for a specific four-word phrase (which I’m not putting here, lest someone search again) having to do with porn and arriving here. Must be all that porn I post… I thank Akismet for catching 206,914 spam comments/trackbacks/pingbacks since I last reinstalled it.

o rly

jinkies — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 05:56:27 +0000

Apparently some of my writing is being emailed around? HA! I’m glad I could entertain. Am I providing insight? Humor? Inspiration?

In any case, I’ll use this time to bring your attention to the late Katie Reider, whose music and life should inspire you. For $1 you can own some of her music and give to a good cause.

i believe

jinkies — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:11:06 +0000

Tonight I saw The X-Files: I Want To Believe. I’m not going to spoil it. I am going to see it again next week with a friend whose friendship was, in the early days, built on the show and will probably have more to say after that. I liked it. I really did. It wasn’t spectacular like The Dark Knight, but it was quiet and atmospheric and even a wee bit thought-provoking. Gillian Anderson writ large is still breathtaking (though I often temporarily fixate on the cuteness that is her uneven blinking) and as in most of my favorite episodes of the show, she is the frosting keeping the gingerbread house upright. I might also add that in my world–the one where the show ended with “Je Souhaite”–this movie drops in quite nicely.

I’ve learned over the years that having low expectations of Chris Carter is best. I think I had pretty high expectations of the flick despite my best intentions. Not bad, CC. Not too bad.

adorkable

jinkies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:18:26 +0000

Gillian Anderson is just adorkable. I sometimes forget this, but with all the press around the new X-Files movie, she’s everywhere. I’m enough of a dork that her televised appearances are on my Google calendar. Really.

Last night she was on Leno. I was not home, and I didn’t TiVo. Nevermind that, though, because that’s why we have YouTube. I do love that I watch her live like this and I’m always on the verge of fear of what’s going to pop out of her mouth. She skirts a bit toward the British accent in there, which I also think is adorable…but I have so much adoration for her anyhow, that I’m a terrible barometer.

Read this article from Salon which does a pretty good job of explaining my love of Scully (and by extension, Gillian herself). Though I’d take Scully over Gillian if I got to choose. But if I didn’t get to choose, I’d take either. I’m not stupid.

Even though Sarah gave me a partially used container of sugar and a bike frame (which I forgot to take) instead of the X-Files prop she has, I have to wave to her here. I was glad to get your (by proxy) text from Barstow. Drive safely and I hope the cats can poop in the box while the car is moving. We miss you already! Git yerserlf a job now!

bits and baubles

jinkies — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:36:05 +0000

Firstly, if you lag even more than me, you must stop what you are doing and you must go see The Dark Knight. It was awesome. Spectacular. Having just watched Heath Ledger chew the screen, spit it out, and make me beg for more, I implore you to put yourself through the experience as well. Goddamn that was good stuff.

In other news:

Fuck bike theives!
Joss Whedon is brilliant! And no, that’s not a link to Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog.
Then there’s my Friday night which I’m so looking forward to.

i can’t find the screwdriver

jinkies — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:29:13 +0000

Thus I am not re-installing the small gate in the backyard. I could change the bulb on the porch light, but instead, I’m blogging off my brunch Chavela (chilled glass with salted rim, filled with Beer, shot of Tequila, splash of Tomato Juice, squirt of Lime Juice, and a touch of Tapatio) from Bill’s Cafe. Yummy. I could’ve used more salt, but it was the perfect amount of Tapatio. Maybe I could make it with Cholula if I make it at home…

My new job! It allows me to have weekends and I pretty much just work the same schedule every day. It’s an amazing little invention called a “fixed schedule.” After six years of retail, it’s actually a minor miracle that I still remember what a weekend even is! What I’m doing right now is working at Phil Wood & Co. doing a little bit of everything. Though I have a fancy title (VP of Global Operations), I cut my day with answering phones, weird tech questions, product assembly, organization, graphic design, technical writing, merchandising, new product research, and shipping and receiving. I love it!

My short attention span is perfect for this job, as is my love of cycling, my nerdiness about cycling, and the fact that I can dork out reading Bicycle Retailer and updates on the Tour de France and consider it actual work-relevant research. I’ve been there for about a month now, and I’m really finding my feet. I think it’s a great place to work and we’re producing great products that are designed and manufactured right here in San Jose.

A lot of the things I’m doing at work aren’t bloggable (much like the last job), but it makes me enormously happy just to be doing them. I’d spent the last year or so at REI, not really wanting to be there. It had its perks, but huge annoyances were turning into impossible working conditions and the really good health insurance wasn’t going to help me if work was making me sick. Wanting to stay in the industry of outdoor gear left me with few options, though there are actually more options than one might think. I did put a few applications out there and even interviewed for a retail store manager position (they couldn’t offer me compelling money or benefits in the end) for a well-known brand within the industry. This job just fell into my lap, really, but proves once again that if you have the skills, are passionate about the work (or the industry), then you can get something you will like. Build those working relationships. It’s all about who you know.

The lesson here for me was to understand that my happiness at work was ultimately the most important thing. Being unhappy at work led me to being unhappy at home, and it made me grumpy with Bryan, which is about the last thing I want to do. It took me a while, but I figured out what I wanted, the conditions I wanted to work under, and the amount of sacrifices I was willing to make in order to get the work I wanted. This move cost me a little bit, however I ultimately commute less, spend more time at home and with friends, and am happy. I’m allowed to be a more committed wife and friend. I can make family events. Today I went to a last-minute brunch.

Find balance in your life. It’s something I used to hear a lot about when I was at REI. I found it by leaving REI.